The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-09-14
ALARcE THEATRE FIRE.
Fully One Hundred and Fifty Lives
Lost in the Exeter, England, The
atre-FataI Rushes for the Exits-

Lost in the Exeter, England, The
atre-FataI Rushes for the Exits-
Lospos, September 5.-By an uncontroll-
able PANIC in the theatre at Exeter. tonight,
a loss OF over hundred lives was caused.
While the attention Of the numerous audi
ence was fixed upon the stage il was discoy-
ers-l that a slight fire had started in one OF
the wings. II could easily have been extin-
guished and the catastrophe ayerted if an
alarm had not been given. which threw the
spectators into wild confusion and terror.
The attaches Of the establishment bravely ex-
erte.i themselves 10 restore confidence and
induce the people 20 go out quietly, but their
strenuous efforts were ff1iitless against the
tremendous rush that was made for the
doors
The occupants Of the pit engaged IN an
awful struggle for egress in the narrow aisles.
Men and women were deliberately knocked
down and trampled upon by those behind
them, and hundreds of people were almost
entinely stripped of their chothing in the ter
rible fight for life The pit was finally clear
Ell. but large number of the occupants of
that portion Of the house were seriously in
jured and presented horrible spectacle as
they reached the streets.
CRUSHED TO DEATH on THE STAIRS.
II was in the galleries, however, that the
full force of the dreadful calamity was felt.
They were packed with men, women and
.ls1a-.,, a,sl tl.,r. s.-au only an.. axif from
the upper tier which was by a long and mar
row stairway. Here an indescribable scene
Of terror and slaughter ensued. The rush
for the stairs was terrific and in a moment
the entire passageway was blocked, those
persons who kept their feet being supported
by solid mass Of PROSTATE humanity. The
shrieks, groans and curses of the imprisoned
and the trampled the wounded and the dy-
ing. were heartrending. but there was no re-
lief. and in a moment scores Of men and wo-
men were either suffocated to death OF killed
by being trodden upon.
A fire escape was at last brought TO one of
the gallery windows, and through this me
diu4n the pressure was relieved and great
many persons were lowered 10 the street
As soon as the house had been cleared of the
living, the work of removing the dead was
begun aud sixty bodies were taken out by
means of the fire-escaps The wounded sur
vivors were conveyed to the hospital and
their number can not al this time be definite
asoeriained, but il is very large. The total
numDer of lives lost Is estimated at 100, but
may exceed that figure
HOW THE FLAMES STARTED.
The fire started in the Hies during the
fourth act of the play When the flames
were discovered drop scene was lowered 10
prevent the current Of air from increasing
the blaze. Afier this was done the actors
and stage hands threw open door 10 make
their escape when the draft caused the flames
% burst through the drop scene and ignite
the woodwork 0f the gallery. The flames
overlook the hindmosi Of the unfortunate
people who were wedged in the corridor ami
stairway and literally roasted them alive.
There Vas no escape for them. the fire being
az their backs and a compact. immovable
mas Of human beings in front.
The fieInen reached the upper windows
and took cut all the people they could find,
but most of them were dead and many 9th
ers died soon after they were taken out. The
sdr-cons in the hospitals revived few per
sons who were thought to be dead from suf-
location. but at O'Clock in the morning
nearly 100 corpses lay in rows on the floor,
and these did not compose the totas number
of the dead as great many bodies were
burned TO ashes in the theatre. Some of the
dead were simply sufiocated and not all mu-
tilated or burned The occupants of the
dress circle escaped without injury, the in
jured and dead being confined TO the pit and
the upper circles.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY BODIES Recovered
LoNDoN September6 O. , O'Clock A. Mp
to the present l3O bodies have been recov-
cred